


i just want your kiss, boy

by ohprongs



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: AU, College AU, Domestic Fluff, First Dates, Getting Together, Human AU, M/M, Malec AU, Mutual Pining, Obliviousness, aka my fave tropes, college sports au, hockey player!alec, listen everything i know about american college parties comes from films/tv okay, soft boyfriends, swimmer!magnus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-01 03:16:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10179452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohprongs/pseuds/ohprongs
Summary: “Alexander!” Magnus says, trying not to smile too hard. It’s a while since they’ve seen each other, and though they message regularly, it’s not quite the same. It’s nice to finally get a chance to see his friend.Plus Alec’s shoulders look lovely in his denim shirt. Yeah, there’s that too.“Come on,” he says, holding out his hand and trying not to think about it too much, “let’s get you a drink.”





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [softmagnusbane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/softmagnusbane/gifts).



> if you were expecting proper plot, you've come to the wrong fic. this is literally just 5k words of [jay](http://softmagnusbane.tumblr.com)'s fave things (college aus/sports aus/domesticity/fluff) for her bday. since it's gone midnight here, happy birthday babe xo
> 
> thanks 2 my partner in crime [edin](http://achilleanragnor.tumblr.com), cause without him this fic wouldn't have been written. also s/o to harry shum jr for [this tweet](https://twitter.com/HarryShumJr/status/827994685671145472) and for being a generally all around swell guy
> 
> p.s. apologies for what i did to the Pool SceneTM. it came from complete crack in the [heart n soul](http://shheartandsoul.tumblr.com) group chat and i couldn't resist
> 
> title from _pumpkin soup_ by kate nash

The house party is in full swing by the time Magnus bumps into Alec coming down the stairs, Alec just arriving and taking off his jacket. 

“Alexander!” Magnus says, trying not to smile too hard. It’s a while since they’ve seen each other, and though they message regularly, it’s not quite the same. Alec’s been snowed under with leading hockey tryouts at the start of the school year and Magnus has been organising all the LGBT soc events for orientation week, so it’s nice to finally get a chance to see his friend.

Plus Alec’s shoulders look lovely in his denim shirt. Yeah, there’s that too.

“Hey, Magnus,” Alec says, smiling at him. Magnus knows Alec isn’t always warm with people, and he pushes down a wave of happiness that he gets to be included in Alec’s close circle.

It doesn’t mean anything. They’re _friends_.

“Come on,” he says, holding out his hand and trying not to think about it too much, “let’s get you a drink.”

Alec glances down at Magnus’ offered hand before smiling wider still and taking it. Magnus reckons that smile could light up dark cities and he grins back at Alec, then realises they’re just standing there holding hands and smiling at each other.

He shakes his head to clear any thoughts about Alec’s hands creeping in and starts leading them through the crowd.

They end up in the kitchen, Magnus amazing Alec with his party trick. One of them, anyway.

“Do it again,” Alec says, half in awe, half skeptical. 

Magnus smiles. He lays the dollar bill he’s holding on top of the beer bottle on the counter, then stacks another beer bottle, this one empty, upside-down on top of the first. He waits a moment for suspense, catching Alec’s eye and winking, then brings his hand down and takes the dollar without making the bottles topple over.

“How?” Alec breathes. “You’re…magical.” He coughs and looks away after that, and Magnus wishes his heart wasn’t beating so fast at the compliment.

“I’m just good with my hands,” Magnus suggests. He’s not sure if he’s imagining the heat in Alec’s cheeks, but it probably is just wishful thinking. “I can teach you, if you want.”

Alec shrugs and glances away over the crowd for a moment. “I probably won’t be any good. But there’s a beer pong table set up over there, and that’s something I _can_ do.”

To Magnus’ delight, Alec takes him by the hand and leads him through the party to the table. They start up a game, and it quickly becomes apparent that Alec wasn’t lying.

Magnus raises an eyebrow as Alec gets the ping pong ball into the cup with his left hand. Alec shrugs, grinning.

“It’s all about the aim, Magnus,” Alec tells him.

“Hm,” Magnus says, pouting disappointedly for great measure. Alec picks up the ball to take his bonus throw — if they were playing proper rules, a left-handed trick shot would have had Magnus downing his drink, but they’d agreed to take it slow — and watches Magnus. He licks his lips and then makes his play. The ball goes just shy of the most right-hand cup, and Alec sucks his teeth.

“Ah,” he sighs. “Can’t win ‘em all.”

Magnus hides his smile as he bends down to pick up the ball, and by the time he’s stood up his face is a mask again. He makes his shot, the ball landing right in the centre cup. Alec looks at it, then at Magnus.

“Haven’t you heard the saying?” Magnus asks. Alec fishes out the ball and quirks an eyebrow at Magnus. He tosses the ball back to him and Magnus grins. “If you can’t find the one being hustled at the house party —” Magnus throws the ball in one smooth arc and it lands in one of the back-row cups “— then it’s probably you.”

“Okay,” Alec says, grinning back at him. 

“Okay?” Magnus asks, smiling too.

“Yeah, let’s play.”

∞

Magnus is trying to think up a vicious Never Have I Ever to direct at Ragnor for his next go when he catches Alec slipping out the door. He leaves his cup and tells Catarina he’ll be back in a moment, then goes to find Alec.

“Hey,” he says gently, seeing Alec sitting on the front steps up to the door. 

Alec turns around and gives him a small smile. “Hey.”

“Are you okay?” Magnus asks.

Alec nods, then sighs. “I just…” he trails off on a frustrated noise. “I hate those kinda games. ‘Cause everyone assumes you’re straight and you’ve — been kissed and had sex and it’s — I.” He stops, turning his attention to where his thumbnail runs along the grain of his jeans, guilt and embarrassment written across his face.

Magnus makes a noise of understanding. He’s usually quite happy playing with his friends, even if they do have a way of every single one of his embarrassing stories, but he can see why Alec’s anxious about it. 

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” he says gently. “I think for a lot of us, we don’t have the kind of experiences straight people have as teenagers until we’re in our twenties. That might not seem like much consolation, but you’re not alone.”

Alec hums but doesn’t say anything. 

“Thanks,” he says after a beat. “I mean. I don’t know, it doesn’t make it any easier. Straight people are still — straight people.”

Magnus huffs a laugh. “Unfortunately.”

“It’s like, I’m not. I’m out, but not… _out out_. You know? My siblings know, but my parents, they’re not — they don’t…” 

“I get it,” Magnus says. 

Alec gives one sharp nod and starts playing with his pant leg again. “I know college is supposed to be that time where you can ‘be whoever you wanna be’ or whatever but. It’s just. Hard. I don’t wanna — I don’t wanna feel like there’s something — wrong with me.”

Magnus’ face softens. “There’s nothing wrong with you,” he says.

“Yeah,” Alec says. “I — you probably know already, but, uh. There’s nothing wrong with you, either.”

“We all need to hear it, sometimes,” Magnus says, covering Alec’s hand with his own, pleased when Alec doesn’t pull away. “Hey, I have an idea.”

Alec hums. “Yeah?”

Magnus smiles. “Why don’t we sneak back in, steal a bottle of vodka, then go for a walk?”

Alec smiles too for a moment before he shakes his head and looks away. “I’m fine, Magnus,” he says. “I know you like parties. You don’t have to leave for me. You should go be with your friends.”

“You’re my friend,” Magnus reminds him, nudging Alec with his elbow. “There’ll always be another party. I want to spend time with you.”

He half-wonders if maybe he shouldn’t bare his soul so easily, but there’s something about Alec that unlocks him.

Alec looks at Magnus for a while, gaze flitting across his face, before he acquiesces with a roll of his head. “Alright, then. You distract them, I’ll get the vodka.”

∞

They end up on a grassy bank overlooking a pond somewhere at the back of campus, lying next to each other and gazing up at the stars, talking about everything and nothing.

“That thing you said earlier,” Alec says, and Magnus lolls his head to the side, blinking at him, “about hustling the party. No. Being hustled in the party?”

Magnus starts laughing and for some reason can’t stop.

“That wasn’t a real saying, was it?” 

“No,” Magnus laughs. “It’s about pool. But your face was too good and I couldn’t resist.”

“I knew it!” Alec says triumphantly. “I Googled it and everything.”

“Alexander,” Magnus says fondly, still laughing. “That’s so cute.”

“You’re cute,” Alec says, and then his eyes go wide and he looks up at the sky again.

“You’re cuter,” Magnus decides, trying not to read too much into Alec’s words.

Alec shakes his head. “Not possible.”

“We’re both cute,” Magnus suggests, and Alec considers this seriously for a moment before nodding.

“Okay.” He blinks at Magnus. “Can I kiss you?”

Magnus sucks in a breath. “Alec…”

Alec sits up abruptly, brushing off his hands. “Forget it,” he says quickly. “I — just pretend I didn’t say anything.”

“Alec,” Magnus tries again. “It’s not that.”

Alec tries to stand up, but Magnus laces their fingers together and tugs lightly so Alec stays sitting.

“Can’t you just let me die of embarrassment in peace?” Alec asks, not looking at Magnus.

“It’s not that,” Magnus repeats. “Alec, look at me,” he says, and slowly, Alec does. “We’re drunk.” 

He doesn’t know how to say, _if I kiss you, I don’t want you to be able to brush this off as just fooling around because we were drunk, because it means more than that to me_ without sounding like he’s fallen too deep too fast. He doesn’t want to scare Alec away. He shakes his head. 

“You haven’t had your first kiss yet,” he continues. “Like I said before, there’s nothing wrong with that. But — it should be with a guy you like when you’ve just had a lovely first date, not with me in a crappy park on campus when we’re both pissed on cheap vodka.”

Alec looks at him for a long time without saying anything. Eventually he lays down again.

“You’re right,” he says, and Magnus tries to swallow. Even though he’d said it himself, the fact that Alec’s agreed he should kiss someone he likes, rather than kissing Magnus, makes his tummy clench painfully. “Does — does going for coffee count as a good first date?”

“Sure,” Magnus says. “Not too pressured, not too private. Plenty of opportunities to be romantic.”

Alec nods but doesn’t say anything for a while. “What if I screw it up?” he asks finally.

“Kissing?” Magnus asks, and Alec nods confirmation. “Any guy worth your time won’t care,” Magnus says.

Alec eyes him shrewdly. “Would it bother you?”

Magnus shakes his head, but he doesn’t know why his opinion on the subject matters. Alec seems happy with Magnus’ answer, though, and turns to the stars again. 

∞

Magnus is just coming out of one of the swimming pool’s showers when Elias comes up to him and tells him someone’s waiting for him. Magnus quickly towels off and steps into some pants before going to see who it is.

Alec is perched on the end of one of the benches in the changing room, phone in hand, biting his lip. Magnus hasn’t seen him since the party a couple of weeks ago, but they’ve been texting almost every day, possibly with more emoji than is socially acceptable.

Magnus picks up a fresh towel and then calls Alec’s name.

“Hey,” Magnus says, and he just catches a glimpse of Alec turning and waving before his view is blocked by the towel as he dries his hair. When he’s done, he chucks the towel in the laundry bin and greets Alec properly. “What are you doing here?”

Alec blinks a few times and licks his lips before replying. 

“Uh, I…” he swallows, eyes darting to the lockers, and Magnus suddenly realises what it means — Alec doesn’t know where to look. He’s uncomfortable because Magnus hasn’t got a shirt on. Magnus rummages in his kit bag for a T-shirt and pulls it over his head.

“I’m decent,” he jokes.

Alec lets out his breath in a whoosh of air, glances at Magnus, then away, then back to Magnus. He licks his lips again. 

“I just wondered — if you were free sometime?” asks Alec.

Magnus reaches over to pull his phone out his kit bag and checks the time. “I’ve got an hour now before class, if that works?” He brushes his feet off and puts on his socks, then pushes his feet into his Converse. “What’s up?”

“Uh, I thought? Maybe we could go for coffee?” Alec asks.

Magnus stops, laces loosely draped over his fingers. That sounds almost like —

But it can’t be. Alec doesn’t like him like that, and friends go for coffee all the time, don’t they?

Magnus finishes tying his laces and then straightens up. “If you don’t mind me buying food too,” he says. “I’m always starving after practice.”

Alec smiles at him, and he’s so pretty Magnus almost wishes he wouldn’t. 

“Sure,” Alec shrugs, then he gestures to Magnus’ stuff. “Did you want me to carry your bag?”

“I’ve got it,” Magnus smiles, heart flip-flopping, “but thanks.”

∞

They go to Java Jones, a little coffee shop on the corner of campus, where some indie singer with a guitar is strumming gently on stage in the afternoon sun.

“How’s hockey going?” Magnus asks as they join the back of the queue.

Alec hums. “Yeah, we had three new recruits for the team since tryouts,” he tells Magnus. “Two d-men and a backup goalie who I’m gonna do some one-on-one training with so he can take over when I leave.”

Magnus has a fleeting desire to try out last minute for goalie so he can have some one-on-ones with Alec as well, but knows it would probably end in disaster. He’s an excellent multi-tasker, but there’s no way he can handle a chemistry degree, being captain of the swim team, being on the LGBT soc, having a full-time crush on Alec _and_ playing hockey. Something would have to give.

“I’m sure you’ll make an excellent teacher,” Magnus says, and Alec laughs.

“That’s not what Izzy and Jace think, but thanks,” he says, smiling.

They move up in the queue. Magnus gives the barista his order and goes to pay, but Alec puts a hand out to stop him.

“I’ve got it, it’s okay,” he says, offering Magnus a small smile. 

Magnus ends up having such a good time that it’s only when Alec notices how long they’ve been there that he realises he’s almost late for class. They hastily clear the cups and plates from their table and head back to campus. 

Alec seems a little on edge as they leave the coffee shop, and Magnus knocks into him gently.

“You’re not worried about me being late, are you?” he teases gently, hoping to put Alec at ease.

“No,” Alec says, and then, “well, I mean, I am. But — no?”

Magnus can’t help smiling. Alec is endearingly charming and he doesn’t even seem to realise.

“I was just thinking that, maybe we could do this again sometime? If you want to?” Alec asks, a little hesitant. “Or, we could go see a movie or something?”

Magnus nods. “There was that new movie your sister wanted to see, I’m sure she’d be up for it too?”

“Oh,” Alec says, “I was — I meant, just us?”

“You and me?” Magnus asks, glancing sideways. Alec is looking at him strangely, and Magnus wonders if he’s said something wrong.

“Yeah, you and me,” Alec says, and he sounds…hopeful. Almost like —

Magnus hears the echo of Alec’s voice asking if coffee is a good first date and he almost wants to leave his body so he can shake himself for being so damn obtuse. 

Alec had _asked him on a date_. Alec had taken him for coffee and — holy crap, that’s why he’d paid for their drinks, because he was being romantic. Because that’s what Magnus had said, lying in the grass watching Alec watch the stars.

But that meant…he’d told Alec to go on a date with someone he liked, and Alec had…

Alec had asked Magnus.

“Alexander,” Magnus says, unable to keep the smile from his face and his chest bubbly with happiness at the revelation, “yes, I’d love that.”

“Great,” Alec says. He looks a little surprised at himself. “That’s — yeah. Good.”

“But,” Magnus says, holding up a finger, “only if you let me pay for popcorn.” 

Alec rolls his eyes, but he smiles. “You told me it was romantic,” he whines, and Magnus sucks in a breath because —

He hadn’t just convinced himself. Alec really _did_ think it was a date and he really _was_ trying to be romantic and Magnus suddenly feels light all over.

∞

“Can I tell you a secret?” Magnus asks. 

They’re sitting on Alec’s bed in his dorm, Alec’s laptop between them playing some teen movie neither of them are particularly interested in.

“Of course,” Alec says, turning to look at Magnus. They’re so close together that Magnus can see every detail of his face.

“Well, it’s more of a confession,” he says, pulling a face. Alec laughs and entwines their fingers.

“Go on,” he encourages.

Magnus licks his lips. “The thing is, I didn’t realise that you were asking me out the first time you asked me out.”

“You…didn’t?” Alec asks, a crease between his brows. He looks prettily confused and Magnus so wants to kiss him. “So, does that mean that — you didn’t, uh, like me?”

Magnus’ stomach drops like a stone. Alec’s aiming for nonchalant, he can tell, but there’s a hint of doubt running through his tone.

“No,” Magnus says immediately, “I did. I _do_. But, I had liked you for a long time. I just…” he sighs. “Honestly? I didn’t think there was a chance of you liking me back, so I assumed anything you ever suggested was platonic.”

Alec’s brow wrinkles further. “Why would you think that?” he asks, sounding bewildered. 

Magnus opens his mouth and then closes it. “I’m…a lot to deal with,” he says finally, mentally preparing himself for Alec to agree and get up and go. Or maybe to ask Magnus to leave, because Alec leaving his own room just to get away from Magnus would really be rubbing it in.

“I think you’re incredible,” Alec says plainly after a beat. “And we all have stuff. I’m not, like, trying to take away from you. But — we’re all human, we all have issues. And I want to get to know you, all of you.” His face softens. “If you’ll let me.”

Magnus swallows hard. He blinks a couple of times and then nods. Alec smiles and presses a kiss to the back of their hands, and then turns back to the movie playing. Whether or not it’s deliberate, it gives Magnus a moment to compose himself, and he leans his head against Alec’s shoulder when he feels sturdy again.

“I wanna say something too,” Alec says, and Magnus can hear the new lightness in his tone. “You still owe me a kiss. Not, like, in a creepy way, and if you don’t want to kiss me you never have to, obviously. But, uh. After we went for coffee, I thought — I don’t know.”

Magnus gently turns Alec’s face towards him. 

“Is that how it is?” Magnus teases, and Alec’s eyes light up as he smiles.

“Yeah, that’s how it is,” Alec says. He glances at Magnus’ lips and then swallows. “Sorry if I mess it up,” he says, and he looks so determined as he stares at Magnus’ lips that Magnus has to laugh. “What?”

“Nothing, sorry,” Magnus says. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

Alec pouts and turns away. “No, I don’t think I want to kiss someone who laughs at me,” he says.

Magnus grins. “Well, let me know if you change your —”

Alec’s kissing him, hands gently cupping the sides of Magnus’ face. It’s not the greatest, skill-wise, but Magus expected that, and it’s _Alec_ , which most definitely makes up for it.

∞

It's too early. 

It always is, and even though Magnus loves swimming, he hates getting up at the ass crack of dawn and he hates leaving his sleeping boyfriend in bed. They’ve been together for four months and it doesn’t get any easier to leave Alec — the novelty doesn’t look like it’s ever going to wear off and Magnus isn’t sure he wants it to.

He peels his eyes open and glares at the alarm clock that's telling him it's gone half five, hoping it will combust. Alec snuffles beside him and buries his face in the back of Magnus' neck, his arm a dead weight across Magnus' tummy.

Magnus tries to gather up the energy to leave his warm bed and his warm boyfriend seven times before he actually manages it, stumbling from the covers and then tucking them back around Alec. He presses a kiss to Alec's temple and gently brushes back his hair, then decides he should get his ass in action. 

Magnus throws his swim gear and a change of clothes in his kit bag with practiced haste, then hurries over to the closest to grab some comfy sweats to wear to the pool. He's got a tank top halfway over his head when he takes a blind step forward and promptly puts his foot down on a hairbrush. 

" _Shit_ ," he swears, hopping on his uninjured foot and cradling the other with one hand. 

"Babe?" Alec asks sleepily, lifting his head from the pillow. A sliver of light creeps in through a crack in the blinds, slipping golden over half of Alec's face. 

"Shh, I'm fine, sleep," Magnus whispers distractedly, already moving on from the pain and tugging the top the rest of the way over his head. He slips into a pair of sweats and then picks up his kit bag with one hand.

"S'later," Alec mumbles from the bed, already snuggling into Magnus' recently vacated space. "Love you."

"Love you, too," Magnus says, something warm like honey settling over him. He picks up Alec's hockey hoodie, slung over a chair, on his way out, and leaves the room blowing a kiss to Alec.

∞

"How was practice this morning?" is the first thing Alec says, and then he kisses Magnus quickly. It makes Magnus' heart skip — whose wouldn't, if they were being kissed by Alec Lightwood? — but it also makes him burst with pride at how confident his boyfriend is now. It's not always been so easy for Alec, and Magnus gets it one hundred percent, but it makes him happy that Alec feels comfortable enough to been openly affectionate in public. 

"Tiring," Magnus says honestly, "but good. Elias' butterfly has really improved since he's changed his workout. He’s gonna kill it at finals next week.”

"That's good," Alec says, settling on the bench beside Magnus and opening the plastic wrapping on his salad.

Magnus puts his arm around Alec and presses a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you for the granola bars," he says, but Alec just rolls his eyes. 

"Well, you always forget," he says simply. 

Magnus smiles, ready to melt at how easily Alec cares for other people. It's true, Magnus does sometimes forget to put a snack in his kit bag for after a practice or race, but Alec does it for him, sneaking bars and bakes into the end pocket without Magnus realising. 

"What time are you at the pitch later?" Magnus asks, starting his own lunch.

Alec shrugs. "Jace is arranging practice today, so maybe half five, maybe six. He said he'd let me know but he's doing something with Simon today and you know what they're like."

Magnus hums. "Does that mean I get you to myself for an hour after class, then?" 

Alec turns to his and grins. "Yep," he says. He boops Magnus' nose with the end of his fork. "And I have half an hour for lunch," he says, raising one eyebrow. 

"Mm, plenty of time," Magnus says, leaning forward to give Alec a kiss. He intends to keep it short, but Alec clearly has other ideas, winding his fingers into Magnus' hair and dipping his tongue into Magnus' mouth. 

Magnus reluctantly pulls away, giving Alec a swat on the arm. 

"Food first," he admonishes, and he wonders if Alec realised how spectacular his pout is. 

∞

Magnus tries to ignore everything but the dampness of the pool tiles beneath his toes while he waits. He blocks out the noise of the crowd, the chatter of his teammates — just focusses on touch. The tiles. The tightness of his goggles around his swim cap (bright blue — he'd refused standard issue black). The slight chill in the air. The press of his nails against his palm. 

After five minutes or so the first team members for the relay are called to the starting block. As always, nerves fight excitement in his stomach, blood humming with it. He watches distantly as Elias steps up onto the block, but after that he looks away, focussing his gaze down to his knees. 

It's how he always plays it — he doesn't want to know if Elias' dive was flawlessly executed; he doesn't want to know how much he has to make up or how much room he has to play with what his teammates give him. If he tries to push it he gets off rhythm, and he never wants to accept complacency. He just swims his best every time, each push of his hand and kick of his leg building up something more than the last.

Distantly, as if he's already underwater, he can hear the crowd going wild by the time he steps up onto the block. They always are by the time the fourth swimmer gets ready to go, knowing the final leg could change everything. 

Meliorn is about halfway down the lane on his final length and Magnus takes a breath, centres himself, and gets ready to dive.

One. Two. He hits the water with practiced precision and starts kicking as soon as he's under the water. It's only a couple of strokes before he's in his rhythm, in his element. He reaches the end wall and rolls in the water, then back to it, left, then right. 

He counts the strokes in his head. Up to twenty. Touch the wall, turn, back up the lane. 

On the final length he pushes as hard as he can, arms burning. He reaches the wall with a burst of energy and surfaces, finally letting the atmosphere wash over him. His team mates are crowding around to yell happily at him, their excited screams crashing over each other. 

"We won! We won!"

Magnus pushes himself up from the water, grinning helplessly, hugging his team mates.

The next moments go by in a blur of commiserating the other swimmers and half-paying attention the booming PA announcements. Before Magnus even has time to stop and think, Cat and Ragnor and Raphael are there, and he goes to hug them all. Ragnor declines, on the basis of Magnus still being wet from the pool, and Magnus scoops up a curve of water to throw at his friend.

He's still laughing when someone places a hand on the small of his back and brushes their lips against his ear. 

"I knew you'd do it," Alec says lowly, and Magnus turns happily, wrapping his arms around Alec. He sticks his tongue out at Ragnor over Alec's shoulder and knows the, _see,_ he _doesn't mind me being wet_ implicit in the gesture. Ragnor probably flips him off in return but Magnus isn't paying attention, too busy being kissed by his boyfriend. 

"I'm proud of you," Alec says when he breaks away from the kiss, tugging Magnus closer into a hug. 

Magnus buries his face into Alec's neck and smiles.

∞

In the end, they’re only late to the victors’ afterparty by around an hour, which is practically a record. Alec, tease that he is, had deliberately walked past in only a towel, little water droplets still running over his body after his shower, just as Magnus had been doing his eyeliner, so that hadn’t worked out productively. Well — not for Magnus’ makeup, anyway, but both of them had thoroughly enjoyed themselves. 

In an effort to catch up with the people who’d been drinking long before Magnus and Alec made it to the party, they’d done some glitter jelly shots when they got there and then accepted several rum and cokes from Catarina that didn’t really require the ‘and coke’ modifier to their name. 

As a result, Magnus is nearing that stage of drunkenness where everything that’s usually clear seems a little confusing, and he’s finding he has to concentrate hard to be able to do simple things like walking in a straight line. 

Alec starts listing as he stands, ending up leaning into Magnus. Ragnor eyes Magnus propping up his boyfriend with a smirk.

“You’re both as drunk as each other,” he observes.

“I don’t get drunk,” Magnus says indignantly. “I experience _spinning enlightenment_.”

Ragnor coughs something that sounds suspiciously like _bullshit_ into his cup but Alec laughs which makes it worth it. Magnus makes a face at Ragnor before lacing his fingers through Alec’s and pulling his boyfriend away, preferably to find a dark corner where he can slide into Alec’s lap and they can make out for a while.

But apparently Alec has other ideas, tugging on Magnus’ hand and walking them in the direction of the front door.

He glances back at Magnus, a little crease of doubt in his forehead.

“Can we just get away from all the people for a bit?”

Magnus nods. “Sure,” he says, gesturing for Alec to lead the way.

“Sorry, s’just my head’s spinning,” Alec says, stumbling over the threshold to the door.

They wander hand in hand across campus, and then Alec’s eyes light on a part of grassy park and he gleefully tugs Magnus over to it. Magnus only realises what about this specific spot has so enamoured his boyfriend when they draw closer, and he smiles in recognition. That starry drunken night seems like so long ago, even though it’s actually less than half a year.

Alec drops to the floor far quicker than Magnus was expecting and then pats the space beside him. Magnus glances down.

“It’s wet, Alexander,” he says, eyeing the dewy grass. Alec rolls his eyes but slips out of his jacket in an overly-complicated manoeuvre that could only be alcohol-induced and then lays it on the ground. 

“Better?” he asks, tugging on Magnus’ hand. Magnus smiles, gently resting his free hand against Alec’s cheek for a moment, and then sits down beside Alec. 

“I love you,” Alec says, resting his head against Magnus’ shoulder. “My amazing, talented boyfriend. I think you’re the best swimer in the world.”

Magnus nuzzles against Alec’s head. “You’re such an affectionate drunk,” he says fondly, even though his heart is bursting like fireworks at Alec’s words.

“It’s not just because I’m drunk,” Alec protests, but even he seems to realise he’s slurring and they both laugh, giggling against each other’s skin.

“I love you, too,” Magnus adds when they’ve both calmed down, and Alec makes a contented sound. He snuggles against Magnus and Magnus hugs him tighter, and Magnus is hard pressed to remember ever having had a better night.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm on [tumblr](http://lightwoodlesbians.tumblr.com) :)


End file.
